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(No Model.)

J. L. HAYNES. GAN OPENER.

No. 571.664. Patented Nov. 17, 1896.

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JOHN L. HAYNES, OF PAXVLING, NElV YORK.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,664, dated November 17, 1896.

Application filed April 25, 1896. Serial No- 589,040. (No model.)

To all Lei/.0712 it may 007806770:

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. HAYNES, of Pawling, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can Openers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to devices for cutting the end or top from cans containing preserved goods. With certain can-openers heretofore made it is necessary while opening a can to hold the can with one hand and operate the tool with the other, causing a considerable strain on each hand and sometimes causing damage by slipping.

The object of my invention is to overcome these diliiculties, and this I accomplish by providing a tool adapted to be grasped and operated by both hands, and so constructing the device that it is practically impossible to slip from a can during the operation of cutting.

Iwill describe a can-opener embodying my invention, and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formin g a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure l is a top plan view of a can-opener embodying my invention and showing the same as applied to a can, and Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the can-opener.

The can-opener comprises two lever-arms 1 2, having their meeting ends curved inward and mounted to swing on a pivot 3; also mounted on this pivot 3 is a fnlcrum-arm 4:, having a downwardly extending finger 5, adapted to engage against the side of a can. The arm et is of suiiicient' length to allow the pivotal point of the arms 1 2 to approach nearly to the center of a can. Each arm 1 2 is provided on its inner side with a downwardly-extended cutter 6. As here shown, the cutting edge of one cutter is at a slightly greater distance from the fulcrum-point than is the cutting edge of the other cutter, so that when brought close together under the fulcrum-arm the cutting edges will slightly overlap, as indicated in Fig. 2. By this construction the cut of one cutter will be merged into the other, thus completely severing the top of the can.

In operation the arms 1 2 are to be placed .apart and the finger 5 placed against the side of the can. Then by a slight tap the sharp ends of the cutters are driven through the can-top, and then by moving the two handles toward each other the metal will be cut, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. After cutting one half of the top the parts may be reversed and the other half out, or as much thereof as desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A can-opener comprising two lever-arms pivoted together, a cutter on each arm, and a fulcrumnrm extended from the pivot of said lever'arms, and having a finger to engage the side of a can, substantially as specified.

2. A can-opener comprising two lever-arms pivoted together, a fulcrum-arm extended from the pivot of said lever-arms and adapted to engage the side of a can, and a cutter on each lever-arm, the cutter of one arm being adapted to overlap that of the other arm, substantially as specified.

JOHN L. HAYNES. lVitnesses:

Jns. S. Pnnncn, ALLIsoN FERRIS. 

